A Place Full of Longing
by Sabishii
Summary: Inu-Yasha and Kagome have met as young kids! Things and stuff!
1. This Place is Mine

CHAPTER ONE:  
  
Mori De "In the Forest"  
  
Two pairs of glowing yellow eyes peaked through the underbrush, spotting a lone figure standing by HIS tree. Not only was he alone, not even prepared to defend himself, but he had neglected to even bring a weapon on this mission of a clear intention to incite his ignobility. Well, he'd give them no such thrill, endulge no such witless vagary.  
  
The way he stood was totally at ease, if not even a relaxed stance. He noticed how every once in a while, the heavily clothed figure would shiver, as in the heaps of clothing piled on top of him wasn't enough to keep the cold away. He looked down at his own garb and let out a quiet 'woof' of air, almost despairing at this poor bastard's inability to exist properly. After a while of sniffing with his untrained nose, he discovered that this person was human, not a threat to him at all. He took an uncertain step back, wondering why a human was out here alone. Had someone gotten word of his mother's home? Were they threatening him by presenting themselves?  
  
He knew that he should leave and get back to his mother as fast as he could, but his young and willful mind told him that if he left - he'd be missing out on something good. So he stayed, slowly crouching down into the brush so as not to alert the silent statuesque of a person. Eventually, the intruder seemed more aware that they were alone in a dark forest where youkai resided. A few turns of the head indicated a taking in of surroundings.  
  
Maybe they're lost.  
  
He scoffed to himself, pondering endlessly on the recklessness of humans even as a plan began to form in his head. He could have a little fun couldn't he? What if he just .. played with the human a bit? He hefted up a small stone, tossing it at the invader's feet. He snickered as they jumped in surprise, gathering their coat close to them for a moment and looking around frantically.  
  
It's amazing how much fun you can have when you're 8, out on your own in the dead of night, defending your territory from humans.  
  
"Hey out there!! Come out and lemme see ya!" A voice shouted out defensively.  
  
The hanyou named Inu-Yasha blinked a few times, mind working franticly to make up for startle time. The voice sounded..very much like...a girl's!  
  
Just then, his ears flipped back, catching the soothing call of his mother. Her voices wafted over his senses with the aura of an angel, and his head turned, looking wistfully back home. He somewhat reluctantly left his prey and bounded off in the direction of his only sanctuary.  
  
The young girl looked both ways, hearing her protagonist make a hasty retreat. She took a deep breath and puffed herself up. 'Ha!' She thought to herself, 'Now they know not to mess with Kagome!'  
  
'Machi' De "In the Town"  
  
Two villagers were seated ceremoniously in front of a great bonfire, the persistant 'dom, dom' of drums pounding peace itno their thoughts, overlooking tradition in it's finest form. A new Miko was being proclaimed in their village, and then could only watch with eyes filled with wonder and adoration as the new young priestess claimed her right. She'd been working so hard for them, and though so young, had earned her right to the title she was about to be given. The girl could be no more than 7 or 8, and yet she has shown astonishing powers that even the highest Miko would gasp at. Certainly, she was going to be one of the greatest...  
  
A crown of flowers was placed against the raven haired child, white petals almost angelicly standing out from the stark black of her profusious locks. Yes, surely, she would become one of the greatest...  
  
The last beat of the drums sounded, the ceremony was complete. The new Miko rose, locking eyes with that of her predecessor, and a small, somewhat sad smile made it's way into an almost longing expression. She was so young, but nothing could be changed now.  
  
The two villagers placed both hands on the ground in unison, touching their foreheads to the floor in salute to their new priestess: Kikyo. 


	2. Shivers up North

Authors Note: Thanks to my reviewers for being gentle with this fic! ^_^ This chapter is a little slow, a little longer I think too... Bear with me! I swear it's going somewhere! XD  
  
Disclaimer: I am not worthy of Inu-Yasha; alas, it is not mine.  
  
CHAPTER TWO:  
  
Inu-Yasha no Uchi De - In Inu-Yasha's house  
  
"Inu-Yasha...You're such a good boy." Inu-Yasha's mother placed a gentle hand on top of her little boy's silver mop.  
  
Inu-Yasha gave her his best smile, holding out a fish that he'd snagged from the river along the way. The sleeves and pants of his Haori were soaked through with water, but, ignoring the shivers a constant chill brought, he displayed his hunting trophy to his greatest fan. She beamed down at him and scooped him into her arms, squeezing him tight for a moment, then letting him tumble out energeticly.  
  
"Should we eat it tonight, mama?" Inu-Yasha asked lightly, rolling back and forth from his toes to the balls of his feet.  
  
She smiled at him, and taking the fish from him, began to skin it over the fire with a dull knife. Pleased, Inu-Yasha's ears perked up and he smiled, knowing his job was done. He raced towards the window of his room, sticking his head out and sniffing the air. The girl from before was still in his forest. He growled softly, ears rotating like satellites atop his fair head. She wasn't too far off from where he'd left her. Instead of heeding his warning and leaving his territory though, she'd decided to stumble towards the house. Perhaps she picked up his trail? He made a small 'keh' sound to that thought, knowing that all in all, she was only a human. He'd smelled no sign of supernaturals. He sat down on his modest bed, folding his arms over his small chest with a smirk. Fine. If the girl was going to be stupid and stumble into HIS front yard, it was her fault, and she deserved whatever she got. Hai, that's right of course... The girl certainly had guts! Yelling at him like it was her place.... The more he thought about it, the more he wanted his intruder to proceed.  
  
"Dear? Can you help me with this?" His mother's voice wafted into the room, instantly sending him running to her feet.  
  
As he picked out parts of the fish inedible for humans, his gaze wandered up to his mother's kind face. She was human, so what if she didn't want him to get rid of the girl... His face scrunched up into a look of resentment, but not directed at her. This just meant he might not get to strut his stuff like he'd previously planned... He held the fish's eyes over the fire and let them drop, but not before his mother had caught hold of his arm and twisted his arm up to her. He averted his eyes to the side, knowing she was looking at a deep purple bruise spreading from his wrist to his elbow.  
  
"Inu-Yasha! What happened to you?" His mother's startled voice made him cringe. He should have done better to hide it from her.  
  
"Older boys from the village.... I didn't hurt them, mama.." He said absently, voice trailing off in the end.  
  
He felt his stomach drop out when his mother's eyes filled with tears. He hated her glistening eyes more than anything else, and swore oaths upon his mother's happiness. It never seemed to do any good, cause he just wasn't accepted among the village folk. His mom was always upset about it...  
  
"Don't cry hahaue... I'm fine!" He put on his best 'genki' attitude, and his mother smiled to reward his efforts, a tear dropping from her beautiful eyes.  
  
She gathered him up on her lap and rocked him back and forth. Inu- Yasha fisted his little clawed hands in her kimono and focused on some crack in the wall. He hated to cause his mother torment. Just then, he heard the snap of dry wood outside the house. His ears perked, head lifting from his mother's shoulder. A feather light knocking could be heard on the deep oak of their door. Inu-Yasha growled tentatively, but his mother stood up and set him down on the ground.  
  
"Inu-Yasha now... Where are your manners?" She asked him with a slight scolding tone, but her loving smile betrayed her.  
  
Normally his ears would have flattened sheepishly, but he was on edge tonight, and determined to protect his mother! She opened the door.  
  
----  
  
Hahaue - Affectionate 'mother'  
  
Genki - Heathy, happy, energetic 


	3. Trouble on the Homefront

CHAPTER THREE  
  
It seemed like ages before the oak door swung wide on it's hinges, wind rushing into the house from outside, and a little girl appearing in the midst of it all. Her black hair was past her shoulders, falling down her back in tiny rivulets. She had small pale hands, clutching the shoulders of the shirt she wore, obviously cold. He wrinkled his nose slightly, trying to place the interesting outfit she wore, but he knew he hadn't seen it anywhere else. His mom was the first to speak.  
  
"Honey, what are you doing out here by yourself??" She asked, eyes open wide.  
  
The girl sniffed, replying, "Me and Michiko were playing by the well, and I got pushed in while we played tag by accident. I know she didn't mean to, so don't get her in trouble, please! But.. when I got out... mama and jii chan... Everyone was gone!"  
  
His mother shushed her as her sniffles became more persistent and ushered her inside as gently as possible. Inu-Yasha growled as he stalked off to get a blanket, recognizing the scent of this girl as the one that was prowling his domain, without permission! That didn't matter now though, his poor innocent mother had taken the enemy into their very home, and now she would treat her with the respect she gave all humans... Even when they pointed and laughed at her.  
  
Inu-Yasha brought back the blanket, sewn out of soft fur, and dropped it inconspicuously at the girl's feet. His mother gave him a knowing eye under her bangs, picked it up and handed it to the shivering girl, walking behind her to softly close the door.  
  
"Inu-Yasha dear, why don't you take this girl to your room and fix her up while I make tea for us."  
  
He irked at his mother's request, color draining from his face for a moment. Take that girl into his room??! That was his private space, not to be seen by... the enemy! He twisted it around in his head for a minute, trying to turn this into a positive thing. Unseen by him, his mother's face eased into a smile to see him strain. At the end of a tense minute or so of silence, a small smirk made it's way onto the little Hanyou's features. A prisoner!  
  
He reached down idly, doing his best for an appearance of nonchalance, and grasped her pale hand in his. Ignoring a slightly muffled sound of protest (By the blanket), Inu-Yasha tugged her into his room as his mother turned to make tea.  
  
Once the door had closed he let her go immediately, almost throwing her hand down. The young girl blinked a few times uncertainly, watching him scramble on top of his small bed and point a clawed hand down at her.  
  
"Listen now, girl! This is my house, and you're an intruder, no! You're my prisoner!" He stretched out the last word like taffy, letting it sink into her brain. She burrowed her face into the blanket a bit more.  
  
"Yeah, that's right! So you better do anything my mama tells you to, and me too!" He flashed her a grin, small fangs glittering in the light of the moon that shown through the window.  
  
His act faltered slightly as the little girl climbed on top of his bed, putting her hands on her hips and giving him her best glare. He irked, taking a step back and putting his finger down.  
  
"You listen to me! I'm nobody's prisoner, and as soon as I find a way to get back home, I'm gone!" She panted, pointing a finger at her chest, "And my name's Kagome, not girl, or prisoner!"  
  
Inu-Yasha had to admit that this girl had some spunk, but he wasn't one to back down to a challenge, even from his brother. He took another step towards her and lowered his head to her level. He must have been about 3 or 4 inches taller than her, though they looked about the same age as far as he could tell.  
  
"I'll call you whatever I want!" He lowered his head for his best glare, but instead of getting the cringing response he was seeking, her eyes opened up with wonder and she was reaching forward.  
  
He tensed, every muscle freezing, as he felt her soft hands brush over his ears, once, twice, before he'd darted away from her and pressed his back against the wall. He immediately flattened his ears down over his head, glaring at her with wild amber eyes as a low growl emanated from his throat. He knew these humans, and searched around wildly, seeing if there was anything in the room that was in easy reach of her to use against him. A small smile crossed his face fleetingly, then was gone. There were no weapons in his room, but also no mops, no rakes, nothing for farming at all.... That was all somewhere else. She couldn't threaten him now! His growl started to die down once he realized she'd made no move to attack him, and was standing in the same position, eyes still wide and curious. She took a few steps towards him, swearing she saw his hair bristle in response. His growl flared up again and stopped her about two feet away, hands still reaching.  
  
"Why are you mad at me?" Her voice was small, non-threatening.  
  
He didn't answer her, but his growl faded off. Was she going to cry? He'd heard his mother's voice get the same kind of smallness, as if burying up on itself, before she succumbed to tears he couldn't sooth. He didn't feel like dealing with the prisoner like that, so he stopped leaning against the wall. She seemed to sense an ease in his defensiveness, and took it to her advantage, leaping at him and throwing her arms around his shoulders. Inu-Yasha let out a strangled sound of protest, claws raised above her back, but her happy lilting laugh froze him in position. She wasn't attacking him, she was hugging him. He swallowed nervously and set the hand that was once to be used to kill her gently on her back.  
  
"What are you doing...?" He asked in a small voice of his own, mentally kicking himself.  
  
She stood back from him, and a small part of him inside twinged with regret, but he stomped it down with the stubbornness of an 8 year old hanyou.  
  
"Your ears are just like a doggies! Are they real, are they??" Kagome seemed absolutely beside herself, but she was still tentative as she reached for his ears again.  
  
Inu-Yasha let out a small sigh, figuring she might as well see him for what he really was. Maybe then she'd leave. He bowed his head and let her curious hands pet his ears a few times. His eyes started to feel heavy, he'd not realized until now how late it was, and how tired he was becoming. Against his will, he found himself leaning into her hand. Her giggle brought him out of his trance, and he raised his head again, glaring.  
  
"They are real!" Kagome said with delight, clasping her hands behind her back innocently.  
  
"What of it?!" He snapped back at her, startling her into jumping a bit.  
  
"Nothing! I like them.." A small smile appeared, though her eyes were somewhat wary of his jumpy attitude.  
  
"Kagomu..."  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"Kagome, right right! ...You don't know what I am, do you?" He said slowly.  
  
The dark haired girl blinked a few times, scanning her brain for the kind of answer he wanted. She couldn't tell with this boy, he was too random and stubborn. She reached for words uncertainly..  
  
"A...dog..boy?" She replied slowly, each word pronounced higher in pitch to display her confusion.  
  
Inu-Yasha face faulted, not sure if she was just joking around with him or if she really didn't know! He took another step towards her, shoving a hand in front of her face. He opened and closed it a few times, showing off his claws.  
  
"Look!" She blinked at his claws, eyes widening slightly as he showed her his fangs and flicked one of his ears, "Do you think this is normal?" He lowered his voice considerably, "I'm not human..."  
  
A shriek, one that his mom most definitely heard, and then, "Are you a monster!?"  
  
His face distorted with shock, "What!?"  
  
"Are you going to eat me?!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
A pause.  
  
"No?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
Another pause.  
  
"Well, then what's the problem? We can be friends!" Kagome chimed, sticking out her hand jokingly in the western tradition.  
  
Inu-Yasha just stared at it, so she nodded to him instead and said, "Nice to meet you."  
  
He echoed her words uncertainly, taking her in from her toes to the top of her hair. What was this girl about? Saying they could be friends... She certainly couldn't be serious. She looked sincere enough though. Eyes all shining, smile on her face... Even as a small smile began to form on his own, a small voice in the back of his head told him that he was hanyou, that he wasn't supposed to have friends. Looking at Kagome though, his conscience seemed to be wrong..  
  
--------  
  
Authors Note: I tried to make this a little humorous, and a lot less boring than the last chapter. Hope I succeeded! I have some stuff planned for the next chapter. I bet you don't believe me since I'm posting these all so fast but... hey, at least I'm not keeping you waiting with cliff hangers of doom...V_V  
  
Disclaimer: I am not worthy of Inu-Yasha; alas, it is not mine.  
  
Hanyou - Half demon  
  
Jii Chan - Affectionate 'grandfather' 


End file.
